Poll: most Egyptians satisfied with female representation in cabinet

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour (C) heading a meeting with Egypt’s newly sworn in interim cabinet on July 16, 2013 in Cairo.(AFP PHOTO/HO/EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)

Most Egyptians see the appointment of three women as ministers in the interim cabinet as “adequate” according to a new poll from Baseera.

An estimated 61% of respondents were satisfied with three female ministers, while 16% said the cabinet required a higher representation of females.

The poll indicated that 6% found the three female ministers to be too many.

Baseera indicated that there was no significant variation between urban and rural areas among those who believed women should be better represented, with 17% and 15% respectively.

On the other hand 67% of respondents in urban areas found the three appointments to be adequate, 11 points higher than in rural areas.

Approximately 18% of respondents in urban governorates believed that women needed better representation, in contrast with 12% in Lower Egypt and 19% in Upper Egypt.

Only 18% of female respondents said women should be better represented in the cabinet, while 55% said the three ministers composed adequate representation, and 4% said the three were too many.

Baseera’s poll was conducted using landline and mobile telephones with a sample size of 2,214. All respondents were 18 years or older and interviews were conducted between 20 and 21 July. The margin of error, according to a Baseera press release, was less than 3%.

The three female ministers appointed in Hazem El-Beblawi’s interim cabinet were Minister of Information Dorreya Sharaf El-Din, Minister of Environment Laila Rashed Iskandar, and Minister of Health Maha Rabat.

Former prime minister Hesham Qandil’s cabinet had two ministers: former Minister of Social Affairs Nagwa Khalil and former Minister of Scientific Research Nadia Zakhary.